Merry Go Rounds -- The History of the Painted Ponies

I was sent to Mansfield, Ohio as part of my job as corporate filmmaker at General Motors.  I was there to talk to the manager of the GM factory  about how he could motivate his workers and give them pride in their jobs.  After listening to his tale of woe I checked out the town and discovered it was the epicenter for restoring classic carousels.  The beautiful ones from the 19th century and early 20th century with painted wooden ponies.  I'd house sit in Los Angeles for people who had organized the restoration of the carousel on the Santa Monica pier and seen how that had helped to revive that sleepy little town.

I thought, why not make a film that highlights the joy of craft and that's set in the town where this factory is grappling with a morale problem stemming from the lack of pride the workers had in their jobs and how they were treated by management.  Why not talk about being artisans and do a little civic boosting at the same time?

And I liked the story.  Needless to say the plant manager thought I was nuts and I was soon heading back to Detroit to explain to my bosses how I'd screwed up another sales call.  But here's the story and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Ride A Painted Pony -- The Story of the Carousels

Everyday one more of these treasures is threatened with extinction by neglect, prohibitive maintenance costs, rising insurance,  suburban sprawl and the auction block.

By focusing attention on this tragedy and creating awareness about the importance of this unique art form we will help to stimulate preservation efforts and the resurgence of the carousel carvers.

The film will open with scenes of people riding the Mansfield Carousel.

Laughing children and adults sitting astride a menagerie of hand-carved wooden animals sets the scene.  As the Wurlitzer fills the air with a familiar tune evoking childhood memories of cotton candy, amusement parks and hot summer days, we begin the story of the American carousel.

While the whirring horses go by we will make a transition that will take the audience from the carousel to the interior of the Carousel Works. 

A woodcarver will be seen as the narrator begins to explain how this nearly lost art is being saved by skilled craftspeople.  The gentle sweeping motions of the carvers tools placed at just the right angle and the delicate strokes of the panel painter's brush will lure our audience into the scene.

The live action motion picture scenes will be augmented by the use of archival still photographs.  To keep a sense of movement these photographs will be lovingly depicted with the sweeping motions of a camera.  Using the mix of old and new we will construct the story of the glories and the near demise of the American carousel.

We will learn that at one time there were more than 6,000 hand carved carousels operating around the country.  Today, there might be fewer than 100 original carousels and just a handful of completely new hand carved carousels.  Without the dedicated efforts of concerned individuals and the talents of these artisans this would be a lost art.

Supplementing the archival still photographs will be clips from early motion pictures and drawings that will provide us with the visual record for our journey back to discover the carousel story.

It is a fascinating story that starts with the crusades.  Around       500 A. D. Europeans returning from the crusades brought back an Arabian horseman's contest.  In this game, dubbed Carosello --Italian for little war--the riders tried to catch little perfumed clay balls.  The balls would hit them if they missed the catch and the riders could end up wearing the smell of defeat.

As it spread all over Europe the game was constantly being altered. In the royal courts of France the horsemen did not use the perfumed balls.  Instead, they would ride at full speed and try to spear gold rings with their lances.  This innovation probably is the origin of the brass ring on the modern carousel.

Noblemen took these events seriously and developed a mechanical device to use for training.  Riders would practice by riding crude, leg-less wooden horses that were attached to a central beam and turned by servants or live horses.  These are the earliest examples of what we know as the carousel.

The French began to refer to all entertainment by knights involving chariot races, pageants and exercises as "Caroussel."  This reflected the change in the role of the knight in French society.  Warfare was changing and modern warfare no longer relied on the knights.  As their status changed so did their tournaments.  What were once deadly martial confrontations became grand celebrations that reflected a changing era.

For these extravagant tournaments, the French aristocracy began to develop many variations of the carousel and the rides no longer were just the province of the knights.  All the lords and ladies could now participate and join the games.  These grand spectacles soon attracted a retinue of artisans who would market wares specifically designed for these events.  Saddle makers, tailors, wig makers and jewelers would concoct special creations for both horse and rider.  The trappings seen on these horses may have inspired later carousel carvers.

Soon a number of different rides were seen where the riders would sit on manually rotated wooden horses or gondolas while they tried to spear a gold ring.

The limited power source kept the size of the carousel from growing until the introduction of the steam engine in the mid 19th century.

An Englishman, Frederick Savage, adapted the steam engine to machinery that would rotate the carousel.  Within a few years this improved carousel began to appear throughout Europe.  Savage didn't stop inventing.  Before long he patented the mechanism that would make the horses gallop.  His system gave the horse the now familiar up and down motion.

Meanwhile, in early 19th century America, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, carpenters and farmers were building primitive carousels.  These were primarily part time, small and rustic efforts. While their devices lacked steam power and the refinement of the European models they quickly became popular at rural fairs.

One of these early American carousels sparked an Indian riot in Dayton, Ohio.  Several hundred Seneca Indians, being sent to a western reservation, were camped by Dayton.  Their arrival coincided with that of a traveling show featuring the flying horses of an early carousel.  Somehow the Senecas were allowed to visit the fair and they became so enchanted by the ride that they didn't want anyone else to use it.  The townspeople had other ideas.  A riot followed and the carousel was destroyed.  This either underscores the violent nature of the origins of the carousel or shows its universal appeal.

As the 19th century progressed this country began to dramatically change.  Massive waves of European immigrants came to America.  In their midst were skilled craftsmen who were familiar with the carousels that had been produced in their countries.

As the population grew and people had a little spending money the timing was right for new amusements.  The American carousel industry was born to serve this growing group.  It would differ from the European carousels in two important ways.  The most obvious difference was that our carousel horses all face right and the rides turn counterclockwise.  The British rides go in the opposite direction.  The less obvious difference was that the American carousel was developed to amuse the masses and not just the elite.

Trolley lines and railroads were installed throughout cities and the general population had easy inexpensive access to travel.  At the end of the lines amusement centers were being built and carousels were popular attractions.

Many of the newly arrived immigrant craftsmen were unable to find work in their traditional fields of furniture carving and fine cabinet making.    As the amusement industry started to boom they soon found a niche.  They quickly improved the quality and style of the early American carousel efforts.  The golden age of carousels was under way.

We'll find out about the leading figures who shaped these creations and whose work the restorers are struggling to preserve.  We'll learn to admire the original carvers' skills as we discover the differences between the Coney Island, Philadelphia and Country Fair styles. 

We'll hear about the early amusement park builders and entrepreneurs who created these leisure time outlets from Coney Island, New York to Santa Monica, California.  To show how much emotion these rides created, we'll talk to those who still remember what it was like to take the trolley to the end of the line on a journey to ride a carousel.

 We'll see how the Depression stopped the growth of the industry and how after World War II people started to find other leisure activities. 

As we hear about the decline of the American carousel we'll begin to see that there is a resurgence of interest in these creations.  We'll visit carousels that cry out for restoration.  We'll talk to those who make a living auctioning off old carousels to wealthy collectors.  And we'll share the joy of a restored carousel.  We'll find out what is involved in restoring a carousel by observing the masters at the Mansfield, Carousel Works.  Their patient skills will provide an interesting contrast to much of our modern world.

Seeing their work and successful examples of restorations will bolster the spirits of people all over the country who might be considering undertaking this type of project.  They will hear how communities are coming together to restore or build carousels. 

This will bring us back to where we began.  As our story comes to an end we will return to the newly built Mansfield carousel and hear how this came about.  While we hear the story we will see the young riders sitting atop their painted ponies.

The laughter of the children will remind us that a whole new generation should have the opportunity to ride colorful carousels  and feel the magic. 

As the carousel turns we will fade out with the refrains of a Wurlitzer trailing off with the picture.